GOPALGANJ, Aug 7: Post Tele-communications. Housing and Public Works Minister Mohammad Nasim today said Bangladesh Awami League respects the fundamentals of true democracy and will guard against any conspiracy to destablise normalcy in the country, reports BSS.

"Though we lost in Manikganj and Barisal byelections. the democratic values in the country have been consolidated as the party (AL) did not interfere in the election conducted independently by the Bangladesh Election Commission." he said.

The minister said this while inaugurating the 1500-line digital tele-communication exchange here which will be installed by the Chinese Great Dragon Telecom Group.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Wang Chungui, president of China National Construction and Agricultural Machinery Import and Export Corporation. Jiangcheng Zun. Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, MP, Mohammad Farook Khan. MP. Chairman of the Bangladesh Telephone and Telegraph Board (BTTB) M A Mannan Chowdhury, president of the district Awami League

Mohammad Ali Khan and Gen eral Secretary Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, among others. addressed the inaugural function.

Mohammad Nasim said the government has planned to establish digital telecommunication exchange in 70 thanas across the country including all thanas under Gopalganj dis&ict which were neglected by the previous governments as it is the birth place of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

^Gopalganj cannot be called a modern town or even a modern village" he said adding that the district needs massive development.

The minister said telephone was a luxury item even in the last decade, but now it has become a weapon of development in the age of technology-cased modern world.

The minister said the country needs speedy development in the information technology (IT) sector.

He said different countries including China, Germany, the USA ana Japan have expressed their willingness for assisting the sector of the country.

The Chinese government has already expressed its desire

to provide assistance in setting up one lakh 89 thousands digital telephones in the country, he said.

Nasim said apart from 1200 lines of normal switching, there will be 300 lines of wireless local loop-line in Gopalganj and 400 lines in the remote UBS unit in Tungipara.

The Chinese Ambassador Wang Chungui said the Chinese communist party had good relation with Bangladesh Awami League and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had a deep friendship with comrade Mao.

The close and cooperative relations between Bangladesh and China has entered into a new phase and the Chinese government will make all possible efforts for materialising the dreams of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman". he said.

Earlier, the minister along with the Chinese Ambassador visited Tungipara where father to the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was laid to eternal rest. They placed wreaths at the mazar of Bangabandhu and offered munajat' seeking divine blessings for the departed soul of father of the nation.